Tied to You
by ekmemerald
Summary: Seth Clearwater always knew imprinting wasn't convenient, and when he imprints on a witch - his point is proven. However, Seth learns that sometimes, you have to fight for what you love. Seth/OC Tagteam until Chapter 3, POST BD
1. Girl in the Doorway

**For the love of SMeyer... Don't ask me how I managed to delete this story. I am not happy. What. A. Retard. **

**Anywhoo, it is being reposted SHARPISH and sorry to all those who favourited and reviewed previously. **

**This chapter was co-written by ElleTwerd. LOVELOVELOVE to you.**

**_DISCLAIMER: All of the recognisable character's belong to SMeyer, the rest are mine. So is the plotline._**

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_Chapter One – Girl in the Doorway_

Seth POV

It was a Saturday night, just like any other. There was nothing strange or different about it to make it seem like it would be anything special. Jacob, Leah, Quil, Embry and I were sitting around a driftwood fire on First Beach, it was late July and it was still light out.

"Shouldn't you guys be heading home soon?" Quil asked Leah and I in between devouring handfuls of the potato chips he was eating.

"That eager to get rid of us?" I laughed, while making a grab for the chips. He swung away from me, pulling the bag out of my reach.

"No." Leah replied. "Charlie's back at the house. It's their 'date night'."

"So… you're scared of what you'll walk in on?" Jacob said, grabbing the chips from Quil when he laughed, helping himself to a handful. I winced at the mental image of Charlie and Sue… together.

"They're a little… old aren't they?" Embry piped in.

"Do we really need to be talking about this?" Leah interrupted the discussion at the ideal moment. "What they do in their own time… It's not really any of our business."

"It will be your business when you walk in on them and catch them in a compromising-" Quil started.

"Ahhh!" I stood up, plugging my ears. Quil snorted a laugh, knowing his comments were making my skin crawl. "I've heard enough. I'm going home now." Charlie and mom had been dating for a while now, and I was getting used to the idea of them as a couple- but this was my _mom_ we were talking about. Any more of this sort of talk and I was going to have to bleach my brain. I don't think Leah would object to that idea either; she was as grossed out as me by the situation.

"Me too," Leah stated, "bye boys." She rose from the log she was sitting on and stood beside me.

"Just make sure you talk _really_ loud when you get to the house. So they know you're coming." Jacob winked. I grabbed the chips from him and ran off with them in revenge, ignoring his protests. If he's putting these horrific thoughts into my head, he can stand having his precious "Lays" taken away from him.

"Real mature Seth." Leah chastised me. "How old are you again? Eleven?"

"I'm SIXTEEN!" I said proudly, putting a whole handful of chips in my mouth at once. She laughed at that. It almost amazed me how much more laid back Leah was nowadays. She still didn't like hanging around the Cullens' place, but she did smile a lot more. It was nice to see her happy, and a happy Leah is good news for everybody. Call me self centred, but it's a relief not to have to be attacked by Leah's bitchiness every ten minutes. I placed most of her happiness on the fact that we weren't in Sam's pack anymore, and she wasn't under his constant surveillance and command any longer. Truth be told, I resented Sam for what he did to Leah. Imprinting or not, he still hurt my sister, and that's not something that can easily be forgiven. I was also pretty sure that he knew that.

It was almost dark when we got back to the house, and the Chief's cruiser was still out front. Following Jacob's advice, I called out when we walked through the door.

Although I wasn't keen on taking Jacob's advice, I thought it would be best to announce my presence without walking in on something that I would never dare lay eyes upon.

"So Leah, I hear there's a new species of orangutan discovered in the Brazilian rainforest…" I grinned to myself as I heard my voice successfully echoing throughout the house. If that's not a warning to stop in their tracks, I don't know what is. Turning to Leah, the look on her face would make you think she had just witnessed a pig fly. I shrugged as if there was anything less random I could say. "Mom? Charlie?" I called as I shut the door behind Leah.

"In here!" Mom called back from the kitchen. I followed Leah into the kitchen and saw mom and Charlie sitting, innocently, at the kitchen table. Thank God for that.

"Hey!" I greeted them, before searching in the cupboards for more food. Mom and Leah rolled their eyes at the same time, it was kind of funny how similar they looked when they did this. The same short hair, the same look on their faces.

"I'm a growing boy!" I explained. "I need my nourishment." I found a bag of Doritos and happily dug in, I offered some to the others in the room, but they all shook their heads at me. "More for me." I said with a smile. I was always happy when I didn't have to share my food. Charlie laughed from the table, then he checked his watch.

"It's getting late." He said, standing up. "I should make my way home." My mom started to say something, and I began to wonder if Charlie had ever "spent the night" and my brain suddenly decided to grace me with the mental images of such a situation.

_Do all teenagers think about sex this much?_ Thinking back on conversations I'd had with the other Quileute guys, it did seem to be a frequent topic… That and food… Is that all I thought about? Sex and food… My train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the front door. I looked at the clock, it was after 9pm. Jacob, Quil and Embry would probably be on their way back from the beach… but none of them would have any reason to stop by here would they? It didn't matter much, if it was them, Jacob would probably steal my Doritos and run away. I instantly gripped the bag tighter.

Mom went to get the door and Charlie grabbed his jacket off of the back of the chair he was sitting on. "I'll see you two later." He said, sliding his jacket on. I heard the front door open and my mom say,

"Can I help you?" in a surprised tone.

A soft, feminine voice replied, "Yes please. My car broke down just down the street, and I was wondering if I could use your phone to call a mechanic…" For some reason, I suddenly felt the urge to go see who the owner of that voice was. It was a very nice voice, soft and sweet… Plus, if she needed a mechanic I was sure I could help. I'd learnt a lot about cars hanging around Jacob, since he always liked to take them apart and put them back together again. And no-one would come out to fix her car this late anyway.

I put down the Doritos (Leah looked at me in mock horror when I did this, I stuck my tongue out at her) and headed towards the front door, Charlie did the same. I heard the conversation continue.

"Sure." I heard mom say, and I heard the creak of the door as she opened it wider. "But I don't think anyone will be able to come look at your car this late."

"That's okay." I heard the voice reply, "I'll just sleep in the car tonight and see if he can check it out tomorrow."

I rounded the corner into the hallway, and I was stopped dead in my tracks.

I looked at the girl in the doorway and it was almost like the whole world stood still, or the whole world just stopped, or maybe it disappeared. Nothing else seemed to matter. There was just this _girl_. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

Ever.

There was nothing else. No one else. Just her.

In that moment, I made a thousand unconscious decisions that would change my life forever. It seemed I had decided that everyone, everything, _anything_ that made me who I am was unimportant in that moment. Everything just melted away, loyalties, friendships, family, everyone else I was tied to suddenly had no hold on me anymore. There was only her. She was the only tie I had left, the only thing holding me down. She was _everything_ that kept me down, here, on Earth. Like she was my gravitational pull, and without her, I would simply float away…

I couldn't lose her. If she left me, my one tie would be gone, my everything, my gravity. I _needed_ her.

And I didn't even know her name.

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**There you have it. New readers? Enjoyed it? Hated it? Let me know...**

**~Elise  
**


	2. Cerriden

**Onwards and upwards I say. Chapter 2 is here. Let us get going :)**

**_DISCLAIMER: All Steph's characters are hers, mine are mine. So is the plotline.

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_Chapter Two - Cerriden_

Seth POV

I hardly noticed that I was still standing in the middle of the hallway staring at her. I just wanted to take her in, every detail of her. Her overwhelming smell, the shine of her long, creamy legs and most importantly, the ways her eyes burned into mine with every glance I could afford to hold. I wanted to embed her image into my brain and never forget what she looked like in the first moments I saw her.

She stood in the doorway, standing at about 5' 5". She was pretty pale, but she had a slight flush on her cheeks. She looked warm, inviting. I couldn't see her whole face, and I found myself desperately longing to see it. Her hair was long, falling down her back in loose curls, hanging closer to her waist than her shoulders. It was a warm brown, and I bet it had a reddish tint in the sun… I wondered what it would smell like. I desperately longed to touch it; to run my fingers through its stunning length. She was small and slender, but I tried not to let myself focus too much on her body. She was wearing a plain white dress that reached to just above her knees and hugged her curves in ways that played havoc with my heart and imagination… She was perfect.

I felt hot – overheated – and it wasn't because I ran a temperature of 104 degrees. It felt like there was a warmth in my stomach that was floating into my bloodstream and spreading heat to every part of me. I felt tingly. It was an incredible feeling. Never mind butterflies, I had fireflies raging inside of me.

I _had_ to know this girl. I wanted to know every detail of her life, I knew she wasn't from here or anywhere close by, I would have met her at some point, and I would have remembered her. I wanted to know where she was from, what kind of person she was, what she liked… _What was her name?_

I was suddenly dragged out of my stupor by a hard jab in the ribs. "Seth? What's wrong with you?" I heard Leah ask, I didn't even know she had followed me out of the kitchen. I must have made my gazing too obvious, if Leah had noticed; _she _had to be rather uncomfortable by now. Reluctantly, I dragged my eyes away from the girl and looked at Leah.

"Nothing's wrong Leah." I replied, my voice sounded strange, I think it was shaking. But nothing _was_ wrong; in fact it was the complete opposite. Everything was _perfect_. It was like the girl had suddenly made everything right in the world.

"Are you sure?" I heard Leah ask, but I didn't reply.

I had returned my gaze back to the girl in the doorway, and I was suddenly caught in the incredibly green depths that were her eyes. She was looking up at me with a weird look on her face. It was as if her eyes were saying _"I know something you don't know" _not in a childish way, but a way that was calling to me, like she had a million secrets bottled up in her mind that she hadn't told a soul. I wanted to know those secrets. I wanted her to tell me these secrets. I tried to decide the exact green of her eyes, were they emerald, leafy green, or an olive tone? But I couldn't decide on just one, it was as if there were a million different shades swirling around in those stunning orbs. Her eyes were incredible. And then there was her _face_. Those incredible eyes were set in a heart shaped face, surrounded by long, dark eyelashes; she had small, pink lips. They looked so soft… I wondered what it would be like to kiss her. I brought my gaze back up to her eyes, and they were wide, like a deer caught in headlights. It was adorable. Her eyes were now, even more of a contrast to her face, being accentuated by her surprise. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face, I was sure I looked ridiculous – _too happy – _Charlie was probably worried I was on drugs. Suddenly, I realised I didn't care what Charlie thought, or what anyone else thought, because the girl's face unexpectedly relaxed, and those lips curved into a glorious smile. In that split second, I decided that I would devote the rest of my life to see her smile like that again and be the one to make her smile. I could spend my whole life like this, just looking at her smiling at me.

"Seth?" My mom asked, dragging me out of my daze like Leah had. I abruptly realised how rude I must have seemed to the girl, leering at her like I was. I looked away from her and turned my gaze to my mom. She was looking at me intently, probably trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

_What did just happen?_

It seemed unreal, it was just too good to be true. Was it possible that I could have just this moment, imprinted on this mysterious girl? It was too sudden, too surreal… Could she possibly feel the same way about me?

"Well, the phone is just through here…" Mom said, turning back to the girl. "Oh, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Cerriden." She replied.

_Cerriden._ Unusual name. Unusual girl. It fitted her perfectly. Woodsy, magical, pretty…perfect.

"Well Cerriden, I'm Sue. This is my daughter Leah, my son Seth and this is Charlie." She gestured towards us as she said our names.

"Sorry for interrupting your evening." Cerriden said. I could listen to her voice forever…

"That's alright sweetheart." Mom told her, then she took her arm and led her away from us, into the kitchen to get the phone, Charlie went with her – probably wary of the strange newcomer. Obviously, I went to follow them, but I was jolted back when Leah grabbed my arm.

"Seth, what just happened?" She demanded, her voice was sharp.

I just looked at her, how could I explain it? Did I even need to? I was pretty sure Leah new exactly what was going on. She wasn't stupid, and I was certain that how Cerriden had affected me was written all over my face. I met her gaze. I suspected that she could tell everything from the look that I gave her, because she said a small "Oh" and dropped my arm, freeing me to follow Cerriden into the kitchen. I could hear her talking on the phone.

"…okay thanks. No, that's okay… Alright, thank you again. Goodbye." She said. I heard the line go dead and the click of the phone as she put it back on the hook. "They said they can come by tomorrow to look at it." She told my mom.

"And you're planning on sleeping in your car tonight?" She asked Cerriden, a noticeable tone of worry in her voice. I was worried too, I know nothing ever happened in these small towns, but it couldn't be safe to sleep in her car. I rounded the corner into the kitchen, and I saw her standing next to the kitchen table, by my discarded bag of Doritos. It seemed hilarious that less than 5 minutes ago, the most I had been concerned about was my food.

"Where were you headed?" Charlie asked her, "Is it far enough that you can't get there tonight?"

Unexpectedly, I was dragged out of my high, the ridiculously good mood I had been in. She would have to leave at some point. She could even leave me tomorrow. Panic gripped me. No, she couldn't leave. Not yet. I didn't even know anything about her, just her name whereas I wanted to know everything, I had to. Where was she headed? I prayed that it wasn't far, somewhere I could get to easily. What if she was going to another city? Another state? What if she was on a road trip that took a wrong turn into La Push, and now that I'd found her, she was going to leave me forever?

"It's not far." She said, the panic lessened a little. "Not even 3 miles… I think. It's just been a long day, and I don't think I have the energy to walk there."

3 miles. The panic was gone now, replaced with happiness again. She was probably still in town then. I could see her everyday if I wanted to… But first, I had to build a relationship with this girl. I had to make her want to see me as much as I wanted to see her.

"One of us could drive you there, if you wanted." Mom told her.

"I think I've caused you enough trouble already…" She replied.

"I'll drive you." I said quickly, before anyone else could steal the chance to be with her. It would be perfect, I could speak with her alone for a little while at least, if she wanted to go with me. Both Charlie and Sue gave me a quizzical look, probably wondering why I was so hasty to help her.

"Are you sure?" Cerriden asked me.

"Positive." I told her. "What's the address?"

"7 Alder Street. Do you know where it is?"

"Sure. Do you want to go now?" I was eager to get her alone, I had so many questions to ask her, and I didn't want anyone else around to listen in.

"Okay." She gave me a smile, then turned to my mother. "Thank you for letting me use the phone, Sue. Maybe I'll see you around town?"

"It was no problem at all." Mom answered her, "We'd love to see you here again sometime." Mom gave me a pointed glance. I could tell she knew I especially would love to see her here at anytime.

"Sounds cool," Cerriden answered. "Goodbye Sue, Charlie." She turned to me, and I lead her to the front door. Leah had left the hallway at some point, I could hear her playing music in her room.

"Do you mind if I get something from my car before we go?" Cerriden asked me, while I grabbed the car keys.

"Not at all." I replied, opening the front door for her. "Lead the way." She smiled at me and walked ahead of me. She headed towards a car on the side of the road and opened the trunk and reached inside, grabbing a bag out of the back. The green car looked a bit beat up, but nothing unmanageable for a girl her size.

"Seth...?" She asked. It was the first time she had said my name, my heartbeat sped up a little.

"Yes?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice even.

"Are you allergic to cats?" My face turned into a frown. What a weird question.

"No…" She walked over to the front door of the car and opened it.

"Do you _like_ cats?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Good." She reached in and pulled out a black cat with weirdly bright blue eyes. "This is Rorie."

"She's nice." I couldn't think of anything else to say, and I took a guess that the cat was female.

"I know. So, where's your car?"

"Just over here." I gestured towards the driveway beside my house and we walked up the street in silence. When we got to the car, I chivalrously opened the door for her – it seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

"Anytime." I answered in a deep voice, as she climbed in, holding her little cat in her lap. I shut the door behind her and climbed in on my own side, starting the car and pulling out of the drive.

"So…" I started, deciding which question to ask her first. "Why are you in this little town anyway? I haven't seen you around before."

"I'm moving in with a family friend." She said. _Moving in. _That meant she was staying. I couldn't stop the happiness that swelled in my chest and I fought to keep the smile off my face, certain it would creep her out, but I wanted to know more.

"And the rest of your family?"

She hesitated for a short while. "They're dead." She leant forward and hid her face in Rorie's fur.

The lifeless tone of her voice frightened me, and the pain that surrounded her words struck a chord in my heart. I remembered what it felt like when I lost my dad, and I swallowed around the lump in my throat. The silence was filled with too much emotion right now, and I wanted to comfort her somehow.

"I'm sorry. I know how you feel."

She looked up, I could feel her staring at my face. I tried to keep my eyes on the road.

"You've lost someone." She stated, I could hear her heart beating quickly.

"My dad." I answered her.

"I never knew my father." She said quietly. "He left my mom before I was born." She hesitated; I could only guess she was unsure about continuing, but she took a deep breath and carried on. "My mom was all I ever really needed, and I don't have any brothers or sisters."

I didn't know what to say to that. Even after I lost my dad, I still had Leah and my mom. I had no idea how I'd be now without them. "I guess I still have Rorie though, and I have a lot of friends who are there to look after me." It pleased me that she had the confidence to trust me, already, and tell me this little fragment of her past.

"That's good." I said, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah. I stayed with some friends in New York City, but I don't like how… dead it is there."

"Dead? I thought New York was supposed to be lively, you know… the city that never sleeps?"

"Well sure, it's alive in that way- but there's hardly anything growing there…you know? I mean it's all building and streets. We didn't even have a back yard. I used to go to Central Park as often as I could, but I really missed all the trees there were back at home."

"So you moved here for the forests?"

"Just the natural stuff, it's kind of hard to explain actually." I wanted to talk to her some more; and I wanted her to explain her thing about nature, but we were pulling down Alder Street now. I pulled into number 7's drive.

"Here you go." I said, I noticed my tone sounded a little sad and resigned. I was sad, I wondered if she wanted to see me again. I hoped she would, and I didn't think I would take no for an answer.

"Thank you so much, Seth." She said, opening the door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, when the mechanics come to check out my car?"

I realised in my haste to be alone with her I forgot about offering to fix her car, but more importantly she had said _tomorrow._ Which meant I would see her again. Soon.

"Sure." I was sure that sounded a little too enthusiastic. "Come knock on the door so you don't have to sit outside waiting for them."

"I will." She said. "Thanks so-" She was interrupted by a loud female voice.  
"Cerriden? Is that you?" The voice asked, it sounded like it was coming from the house. Cerriden smiled at me, and climbed out of the car.

"Yeah! It's me Lissa!" She called back; she poked her head back in the car. "That's the woman I'm staying with, Melissa. Thanks so much for bringing me Seth, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a safe trip home."

"Bye Cerriden." I said back. She smiled and shut the door, and I ignored the strange sadness I felt as she walked away from me and over to Melissa, who I could now see standing in the door way. I waited until she was safely standing next to her, as if anything could happen to her during the walk to the doorway. Cerriden gave me a small wave as I pulled away, and I let the smile I'd been holding back from being with her erupt. I was distracted the whole way home, thinking of Cerriden's green eyes, and her beautiful smile, and her beautiful face, the sound of her voice… If I knew this is what imprinting was like, I would have gone to New York and found Cerriden long before today.

When I got home; I headed to my room before mom or Leah could bombard me with their questions. I'd deal with them tomorrow, before Cerriden got here.

Cerriden…

I didn't know what to do with myself, and it was pretty late, so going out didn't seem like an option without mom asking questions, and leaving this room meant Leah would come asking me what the hell had happened.

So I stripped off my jeans and shirt and clambered into bed. My mind was racing with a million thoughts, but eventually I drifted off to sleep.

I dreamt about the girl who had now become my everything.

Cerriden.

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**Hmmm. Love it, hate it? Yeah...**

**In case you wanted to know, Cerriden is pronounced Serr-ee-den :) Weird name, but it is like that for a reason ;)  
**

**~Elise  
**


	3. Vast Collection of Brooms

**A/N: Mmmmm :) Finally some witchiness is mentioned!**

**I was asked, so I will clarify again that Cerriden in pronounced Serr-ee-den ;)**

**Sadly, it seems I have lost my co-author :( You're bright red [;)] input will be missed dear Elizabeth.**

_**Disclaimer: None of SMeyer's characters are mine, only Cerriden and this plotline.**_ _**FURTHERMORE: I'm getting all of the information on Wiccans and Witchcraft from: **_

_**In The Circle: Crafting the Witches' Path by Elen Hawke**_

**_and A Beginner's Guide: Witchcraft by Teresa Moorey_**

**Anyways, onward to chaptering!  
**

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_Chapter Three – Vast Collection of Brooms  
_

Seth POV

I woke up surprisingly late considering how over-excited I had been the night before, by the time I rolled out of bed, it was already past ten thirty. For a moment, I was disorientated – then everything came rushing back: Cerriden's face, her smile, her smell… even her cat. I hurried to get dressed, grabbing my jeans off of the floor and a random t-shirt from my dresser, I wondered when she would be here, or if she was here already. My heart was pounding already and my head swam with thoughts of her. I was knocked out of my stupor when I heard Leah hammering on my door.

"SETH! Are you up?" She yelled, she was hitting the door so hard the frame was shaking. She didn't sound particularly angry though, and she was no-where near stupid enough to believe I was still asleep. So I pulled the door open before she could knock it off its hinges.

"What?" I asked her, trying to sound annoyed, but failing.

"We need to talk." She sounded serious, but again, not angry. This was a good sign. It would be understandable if she was angry at me for imprinting, it seemed to screw up her life enough.

"Oookay…" I trailed off as she grabbed my arm and dragged me into the kitchen. My mom was already in there, washing some dishes – she turned when she heard us and she smiled at me brightly.

Shit…

Leah pushed me into a chair, I felt like I was at an intervention or something. They both looked at me, Leah was serious, whereas mom was grinning like an idiot.

"What?" I asked, desperate to get their stares off of me. It was unnerving.

"Cerriden." Leah said plainly.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face when she mentioned her name.

This seemed to be some unconscious answer for the women in the room. My mom sighed contently and Leah just looked at me.

"I can't believe it." Leah said. "You imprinted? Are you fucking _serious_?"

"Language, Leah." My mom said, giving her a stern look.

"Uh…" I didn't know what to say. I didn't really want to admit to imprinting, it just made the whole thing seem less… special I guess.

They were both looking at me. We all already knew the answer, I guess they just wanted to confirm it. Fortunately, the staring contest was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

I bolted for the door, glad to be away from those knowing and scary stares – without thinking, yanked it open.

Her smile and her scent sent me reeling. It was like my memories couldn't do justice to how lovely she was, and I knew I was grinning like a madman.

"Hello, Seth." She said, beaming up at me.

"Hey, Cerriden." I answered. God, I loved saying her name.

"Thanks for letting me come over. The mechanic is supposed to make an appearance around 11." She said.

"No problem." I answered her, just taking her in all over again. Today she was wearing a blue dress, with a white floral pattern, it was a little shorter than the one she wore yesterday – showing the length of her legs. I think I must have been staring, as a tint of pink flushed her cheeks. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure, some water, please." She said, as I lead the way into the kitchen. I didn't think to check if anyone was still in the kitchen, so it startled me when I heard mom's voice.

"Cerriden, it's nice to see you again." She said, turning away from the sink and drying her hands on a dish towel.

"You too, Sue. I won't be bothering you for too long – the mechanic is supposed to be here soon." She answered, I almost laughed out loud at the idea of her being a bother to anyone. I felt so lucky to have her standing next to me.

"It's no bother at all, sweetheart. Stay as long as you like." Mom replied, but she was giving me pointed looks as she spoke. I looked around the room for Leah, but I couldn't see her. I guessed she had gone back to her bedroom; she was probably fed up with me.

"Thanks." Cerriden replied. It was silent for a moment, and my mom used the opportunity to excuse herself from the room, and I remembered I was supposed to be getting water for Cerriden.

As I was filling the glass, I heard Cerriden's voice behind me.

"So… Have you always lived here?" She said, I smiled at her attempt to make conversation.

"Yeah." I replied, handing her the glass. "Would you like to sit?" I felt stupid for not asking already, and pulled a chair out for her.

"Thanks." She sat down, brushing her hair behind her shoulder as she did so. Her lovely, woodsy scent drifted over to me. I never noticed how… natural she smelt. Not like fruit or flowers, more like fresh water and trees. A breath of fresh air. She took a gulp of water.

"Do you like living here?" She asked, it seemed like she wanted more information out of me.

"Sure. It's close to the beach and woods, and there isn't that much crime – and the people are really nice, I've got some really cool friends…" I trailed off, I was rambling.

"Not much crime? That'll be a nice change."

"I guess there's a lot of law-breaking in New York, right?"

She laughed without humour. "Yep."

I felt like there was more to the story, but I didn't get a chance to ask; as I heard a truck sputtering along the street, which I assumed was the mechanic. After a few moments, Cerriden heard it too.

"They're here to rescue my car, I assume." She said, standing up. I stood up with her.

"I'll go with you."

"Thanks." She smiled, I smiled back. We walked in silence to the street, where sure enough we saw the mechanic's tow truck dawdling by her car.

"Miss… Kareeden Fenna?" The mechanic said, as he climbed out of the car. He mispronounced her first name, and I realised that I didn't even think to ask for her last. I felt weirdly jealous of this stranger knowing her surname before I did.

"It's Cerriden." She corrected him.

"I'm George Mathers." He told her, shaking her hand roughly. Again, I was jealous. He was touching her, and I wasn't, and he wasn't being as gentle with her as he should – couldn't he see how fragile she looked? "Let's have a look under the hood." He sauntered over to the hood of her car and thrust it up, ducking down and taking a look.

"People always mispronounce my name." She grumbled, she was adorable when she was annoyed.

"It is an unusual name." I told her, smiling.

"It's after the Welsh Celtic goddess Cerridwen." She informed me. "She's the goddess of the moon, poetry, music, earth, death and fertility."

"A goddess? Now that's special." I told her, smirking.

"It is. I love my name, my mom seemed to think it was very fitting."

"She had good taste in names then, although it is a bit of a mouthful."

She smiled, "Well, since you seem to have such an issue with the length of my name, you can just call me Cerri."

"Alright, Cerri." I smiled back at her, I seemed to be smiling a lot recently.

"Well, Miss." George suddenly said in his gruff voice, pulling us out of our bubble. "Looks like you got some engine troubles, I'm gonna have to take her back to the garage and fix her up."

"Alright…" She replied, "When do you think it'll be ready to pick up?"

"Uh… probably around a week or so." He mumbled, rubbing his neck.

"Okay, I just have to get some stuff out of the back." She replied, pulling out her car keys from her bag.

"I'll help." I told her.

She smiled up at me, unlocking the car while George fiddled away with his truck. She started pulling out all sorts of boxes and things from the back seat, handing a few off to me.

"I'll just bring them into the house." I told her, walking towards my door.

"Thanks!" She called out with her head still inside the car. I walked her boxes into the kitchen and dumped them on the table.

"So, she's moving in already?" Leah's voice startled me.

"No." I scowled at her, although I wouldn't mind Cerri moving in with me. Into my room… "I'm just helping her with some boxes." She just rolled her eyes at me and stalked off into the living room. I didn't have time to figure Leah out, I could hear Cerri talking to George out front.

"Thanks for all your help." I heard her say.

"No problem, Miss. We'll call you with details and stuff." I heard George's voice reply. I heard the rumble of his truck driving away as I headed back outside.

Cerri was watching him drive away, with another box and a few objects by her feet.

"I'll help you with those." I said, picking up the box. She picked up a few of the things off the ground and followed me into the kitchen. I heard her groan behind me.

"Ugh, I don't know how I'm going to get all this back to Lissa's." She said, putting something on the table with a clang.

"I could drive you, if you like." I said, excited to be with her for a little longer.

"Really? Thanks, I didn't want to ask – it seemed rude." She mumbled. I laughed, she really liked to be polite.

"Sure, you can ask me for anything." I told her, ignoring how creeperish it sounded. She just smiled at me. "You know, for moving, you didn't bring a lot of stuff." She only had four boxes and a few knick-knacks. And a broom, it seemed.

"Yeah, I don't actually own a lot of stuff, and I left some of it with friends in New York."

"Very practical." I was eyeing some of her things, hoping to get to know her a little better through them. I couldn't see much though, as the boxes were all taped up. "Why the broom though?"

She appraised me for a moment, and her eyes danced with secrets. Then she smirked, and said, "It's my favourite one. I couldn't leave home without it."

I held her gaze for a moment, trying to figure out what she wasn't telling me. Then I shook my head and laughed, giving up. "Do you have a vast collection of brooms?" I asked her.

"Well, I wouldn't say _vast._" She chuckled, stroking the bristles of her favourite broom. "But I do like choice."

"Is there a reason you like choice in brooms?"

She looked up to the ceiling then, and blew a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes, then looked back at me.

"Have you heard of Wiccans?"

I blinked. Her face was unsmiling now, serious.

"What, like witches?"

"Like the religion." Her voice grew softer, almost vulnerable.

"Uh, not really."

She smiled shyly. "I wouldn't really expect you to." She looked down at her watch for a moment. "It's not exactly a major world religion."

"So… you're a Wiccan then?"

She looked up and smiled at me. "Yep."

Wiccan. Witches. The occult. The supernatural. I wondered if this meant she believed in werewolves… I blanched from the thought. I did not want to have the "I'm a werewolf" conversation with her. I realised I hadn't said anything, and she was looking at me anxiously.

"Cool." I said. Not knowing what else to say. She laughed then, carefree and relaxed. "So, the brooms are for…?"

"Rituals." She answered. "Maybe I could tell you more about it the car? I promised Lissa I'd be back around twelve, and it's already past eleven thirty."

"Of course." I told her, grabbing a box. She followed suit, grabbing a box and following me to the car.

* * *

**A/N: I wish I could have made a massively huge chapter for this, but the story flowed better when I split it in half. **

**Also, what did you think of Leah and Sue's reactions to Seth's imprinting situation?  
**

**Love and JOY to you fantastic readers :)**

**~Elise**


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